Pages

Friday, April 18, 2008

The world is somewhere between mad demented and mad awesome...a wrap-up of the week

It's been a wild week in nearly every avenue. Here's what I've seen that might intrigue, interest, disgust, enthrall and/or appall you:

The good:

Earth Day ramp up has motivated some really fantastic things.

At Moms Speak Up, I joined The Nature Conservancy's campaign to Plant a Billion. One tree, one dollar...and every dollar counts. Click over here to check out the information and join in the campaign!

Aimee Greeblemonkey launched a project near and dear to my heart (for those of you who know how I feel about art, kid art, and art in school, as well as the environment). Inspired by her son who hosted a backyard art auction and a reader suggestion, she launched Kid Art Auction for Earth Day 2008.

Izzy asked if I would take on Moms Speak Up as Editor-in-Chief, which I agreed to do. I'm currently seeking motivated writers who are passionate about the environment, dangerous imports, health care, food safety, media and marketing, education, politics and many other hot topics of concern. There is no minimum requirement for submissions, but since I'm looking to keep the site moving and growing, I do prefer a degree of prolific. Cross-posts welcome. :)

Also, did you see that Izzy was mentioned at the Wall Street Journal, along with other "moms who blog?" We're a force, who I think mainstream media are beginning (finally!) to reckon with! Sue Shellenbarger says so in her article, "The Blogger Mom, In Your Face."

The bad:

It has finally happened: a book has been published that I think is so dreadful it ought to be burned.

I know. I did not think it possible either.

I've seen some questionable topics published, read some really badly written books, and passed over some books that made me go, "WTF?!?!"

But I've never, ever advocated burning a book. Until now.

Exhibit A:

A book for moms (moms! Just moms? Not dads?) to explain the cosmetic surgery process to their little girls (girls! Just girls? Not boys?).

This book also caused me to utterly suspend my normal "endeavor to be open-minded and fair and balanced." I went straight to outraged feminist moralist motherist.

Cosmetic surgery to "perfect" one's self makes me sad. There. I said it. It does. Modeling it to one's daughter, to demonstrate why dangerous elective surgery is necessary so Mommy can appear closer to Barbie-slut-ho perfection through a book that is supposed to normalize it makes me shudder.

In the book, Mommy explains to her little girl how pregnancy ruined her sexy and gorgeous looks (I'm paraphrasing in a really pejorative way, as I am sure you guessed). She tells her daughter that in order for her skin-tight pants and belly-revealing shirts to look better, in their land of palm trees (Miami? LA? Houston?), she needs a breast augmentation (that means bigger boobs, sweetheart), a tummy tuck (to remove that unsightly bit of post-pregnancy puckering), and a nose job (not sure how that's related exactly but Mommy feels the strong need to fix her nose).

Mommy and Sweetie meet with Dr. Michael, who strongly resembles a rejected Hall of Justice hero, who, failing the superhero gig, turned to plastic surgery instead. Hey, at least he's using his powers for good...right?

The real Dr. Michael (Dr. Michael Salzhauer) was inspired to write the book when a large number of his patients came to appointments with children, who were confused and worried about the surgery.

Clue: BECAUSE THAT'S RATIONAL. One SHOULD BE scared of surgery, especially unnecessary surgery. It carries RISKS. As one who has been through a number of surgeries, I can't imagine ever opting to do it unless it was absolutely medically necessary.

But instead of teaching children to value themselves and their bodies as is, and to trust their instincts, Dr. Michael believes it is relevant to teach them to be hunky dory with Mommy going under the knife to (and I quote the book), come back not just, "...different, my dear---prettier!"

Because, of course, that should be every woman's goal.

Unfortunately, the Newsweek article I read about this quoted a child expert who agrees that Dr. Michael is on the right track. Elizabeth Berger, psychiatrist for children and author of "Raising Kids With Character," said she didn't want to seem anti-cosmetic surgery and thought the book was a good idea because if women do plan to have cosmetic surgery, it's important that they talk about it with their children.

Hey, Dr. Berger, it's okay to appear to be against something, especially if your career is to advocate, protect and help children.

Hey, moms, if you feel compelled to get cosmetic surgery, who am I to say otherwise. I get it, each to her own.

But please, if you can't do other than downplay what it is, really, then please, hide it from your kids. I fight every day to keep my kids from thinking they need to reach some arbitrary state of physical perfection in order to be worthwhile. I hope you'd want to do the same. If not, at least please keep it to yourself, okay?

You guys know I'mvain. But you also know that I halt my vanity as best I can at the "making the choice to be healthy" line. Usually.

But when I ponder that elective cosmetic surgery is reaching record numbers, I feel disheartened at the state of esteem and how women view themselves. How can I ever teach my children, in the face of such a culture, that it's not how you look that is most important but who you are and what you do?

For more about what I think we need to make of the natural changes in our bodies, click here.

The political

The MOMocrats have been busy as bees. And it's paying off with lots of national attention from the Democratic presidential candidates' campaigns and keystone journalists such as Jay Rosen. We've covered everything from personal appearances by Obama (at the now infamous "bittergate" fundraiser in San Francisco, where MOMocrat Glennia heard it first-hand) to live blogging the debate. Now we're collecting the questions ABC should have asked at the debate. Come read and add your voice.

Who is to say what art is or isn't? But can we really call this art? I call it...well, unethical and immoral sounds too milquetoasty. Horrific. There. It's not art, it's a horror show. I hate to give it more attention, but now and again (in two cases in this very post) my Self-Righteous bone gets poked.

The mad awesome

I want to leave this post on a good note, as it began.

Whymommy got some great news: no evidence of disease. So happy for you, Susan!

The EPA tightened the ozone levels allowed. One step closer to cleaner air! This was, in part, I think, due to the enormous public response at their hearings. Maybe using my words added to this.

Patience keeps moving up the reading levels. I caught her reading a chapter book to her little sister, who was listening, rapt. It has inspired Persistence to learn to read, or try to. The two of them are growing ladybugs for our garden. Next week is our consultation about how to convert our yard into a wildlife habitat.

Last but not least, I survived a day in the nursery at the school/church. Yes, me in charge of over a dozen kids (with another parent). And we all came out fine.

Have a great weekend!

Copyright 2008 Julie PippertAlso blogging at:Julie Pippert REVIEWS: Get a real opinion about BOOKS, MUSIC and MORE Julie Pippert RECOMMENDS: A real opinion about HELPFUL and TIME-SAVING productsMoms Speak Up: Talking about the environment, dangerous imports, health care, food safety, media and marketing, education, politics and many other hot topics of concern.MOMocrats

27 comments:

First: that book. OMG, no. NO. I want to up with women and all, but cosmetic surgery bugs (and I have close friends who have had it and I have reacted to their announcements with undisguised horror, so now you know what kind of friend I really am). I understand the impetus behind the tucks and lifts, I do, and I feel the temptation myself. But it still makes me sad for us and for our ever growing focus on the surface while leaving all the important and lovely things underneath untouched.

I don't from art, either, but that project makes me shudder. Gah! Could I expose myself as more close-minded and reactionary? (wait. am I close-minded and reactionary?)

Yay for your new gig! And for the awesomeness of your daughters! And for women who use the power of their minds to make a difference!

Posts I've read today:1. http://chandni.wordpress.com on this asshole doctor who stands up for sex determination. He's an IVF practitioner.

2. http://thebratthebeanandbedlam.wordpress.com - The Mad Momma commenting on the horrible story of the Yale student's "art project" that constitutes footage of several abortions she goes through over some months, and more.

3. Mad Momma again. Apparently bringing a dog from the streets, tying it and starving it to death is "art".

4. This.

Do yourself a favour and don't read the posts. The first one is comparitively bearable because we get that crap all the time. The rest... just don't touch them with a bargepole.

1 Ya for you!2. AHHH! Strangely I felt compelled for some strange reason to tell my 7 year old daughter that her Grammies' boobs are not real. This crap is out there for our kids to see! My daughter was like, "Huh, that's possible? And how stupid..." It was a chance for me to say things like, "Yea, fat or thin or flat or booblishious we should love our bodies. Like mommies' squishies, gotta love 'em!" That we should ever need to talk about this though is CRAZY!

OK, there is SOOOO much about that book that makes my head want to explode but can I just say this? When, oh when, will dumb-ass publishers and child socio-psy-nutri whomevers STOP publishing "enabling" crap books for kids? Let's leave children's books to children's authors--you know, the ones who can craft story and create art.

when I think about the perfectly good books people have wanted to ban over the years....in other news, hurray I can get back on your site - the past two days I was forbidden from getting here and could only view in reader - is the internet out to get me?I need to do more reading at MSU - I do some greenish blogging myself - why don't I go there more? I need to pull my internet together.

Although I LOVED the part about you getting to be the Editor-in-Chief of Moms Speak Up, I'm very sorry that you ended up having to read the book about cosmetic surgery. Where in the world did you find it??? I may need to pass on the little warning on my own blog and need siting fodder. . . I'm not a super model, but I really hate the idea that moms should try to help their kids LIKE the idea of plastic surgery. Heck, I'm the type of mom who won't even schedule a repeat C-section. I'll go drive 45 minutes away to go through labor and have a VBAC. Crazy people.

Although I LOVED the part about you getting to be the Editor-in-Chief of Moms Speak Up, I'm very sorry that you ended up having to read the book about cosmetic surgery. Where in the world did you find it??? I may need to pass on the little warning on my own blog and need siting fodder. . . I'm not a super model, but I really hate the idea that moms should try to help their kids LIKE the idea of plastic surgery. Heck, I'm the type of mom who won't even schedule a repeat C-section. I'll go drive 45 minutes away to go through labor and have a VBAC. Crazy people.

Ad, PR, Review, Spam, Privacy Policy

Writing is my profession & living. My blog accepts opportunities to earn revenue.
For ads, reviews, PR, etc. on my blog, email jpippert at g mail dot com.
You spam, you pay. Spammers will be invoiced $10 per spam ad left anywhere on my blog.
I keep commenter and other identifying information private, and do not sell, rent, or otherwise distribute any information I receive via this blog without permission.

Reprint and Link Policy

As stated above, writing is my profession & living. I enjoy links and love when my articles move someone to C&P, quote, reprint, etc. However, please do not reprint or reproduce any of my articles in part or in full, photographs or art without permission. Contact me at j pippert at g mail dot com for permission. And if you are kind enough to link? Please let me know so I can slavishly thank you.